A Monmouth County Superior Court judge sentenced a former Freehold Soil Conservation District official to three years in prison Friday for accepting a bribe from an undercover officer.

An investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office uncovered that John Tonon, 51, of Manasquan, had solicited a bribe from a builder during a final walk-through inspection on a Hazlet home, the Prosecutor’s Office said in a release.

At the time, Tonon was a resource conservationist with the Freehold Conservation District, one of the 15 soil conservation districts statewide that are empowered to manage and conserve soil and water resources.

Authorities said Tonon informed the builder that the fees associated with the inspection and subsequent issuance of reports ranged between $1,400 and $3,000. But he offered to expedite the process and provide the builder with the necessary approvals - thus ensuring a faster issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the property – in exchange for a $700 cash payment.

An undercover officer later posing as a business partner of the builder made contact with Tonon. After several recorded conversations regarding payment, Tonon accepted a $700 cash bribe from the undercover officer and, in return, Tonon assured the undercover officer that he would ensure prompt issuance of soil approvals, the Prosecutor’s Office said.

The case was assigned to Assistant Prosecutor John Loughrey of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Special Prosecution Bureau.

Tonon later pled guilty to the third-degree crimes of official misconduct and bribery pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement.

On Friday, Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Ronald Lee Reisner sentenced Tonon to three years in prison and imposed a two-year period of parole ineligibility.

The Freehold Soil Conservation District serves Monmouth and Middlesex Counties. It addresses soil erosion, storm water run-off and sedimentation problems caused by activities such as residential construction.